


Stammi Vicino Pâtissier

by daysinrussiavictuuri



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Coffee, Coffee Shop aus give me life and love, Coffee Shops, Fluff, M/M, Pastries, cakes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-17 05:37:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11269005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daysinrussiavictuuri/pseuds/daysinrussiavictuuri
Summary: A Yoi coffee shop/cafe AU!When the start of Summer arrived, Yuuri is hired as new a waiter in a well known cafe, Stammi Vicino Pâtissier, owned by the famous Viktor Nikiforov.





	1. Welcome to Stammi Vicino Pâtissier!

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to nerdlife4eva for beta reading and giving me so much inspiration to start this AU!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as the open sign was lit up and the doors were opened, Viktor urged Yuuri forward to greet the customers.
> 
> Yuuri stood tall, kept his chin high, and showed a bright smile.
> 
> “Welcome to Stammi Vicino Pâtissier!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (9/20/17) A/N: with the help of nerdlife4eva, I reworked and revised this first chapter so its improved and has added character, setting, and interaction details! For new and previous readers, I hope you enjoy!

Summer had bloomed in the air like a rose. The temperature began to rise with the sun in the blue sky. Birds perched on tree branches and power lines, chirping a range of melodic notes as they watched people pass by down below, hoping a few would drop food scraps. Children screamed and hollered to their friends as they ran to the parks or pools with their family. A few passing clouds, the shades of the trees, and the rush of A/C inside stores and restaurants could spare people from the heat. 

Yuuri felt like he was melting in his clothes like chocolate left out on park bench. The sweat made his clothes stick to his skin like glue. The collar of his button down shirt made it hard to breath as Yuuri tried loosening the button a little without making it crooked or wrinkled. Yuuri took off his glasses to clean off a bit of dirt from the lens. His eyebrows frowned in concentration underneath the sweat from his forehead.

Today was the first day of his new summer job, and the first thing Yuuri considered doing was sticking his whole body in the freezer to cool off. 

Standing in front of the grand entrance to the café, Yuuri took several deep breaths and straightened his back and his hair before circling around to the other door for employees. Yuuri walked through the thick dark colored wooden door with a sign marked cafe employees only.

Inside, the hallway stretched shortly towards the main dining area of the cafe, with the break room on Yuuri’s left and the kitchen and bathroom on the right. Yuuri noticed the door to the break room was closed, but he couldn’t hear any noises coming from the other side. Yuuri assumed no one else was here yet, so he went ahead and pushed through the door.

As soon as he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat and Yuuri’s eyes went wide at a shocking sight in front of him.

A handsome baker was standing before him half naked with his back towards Yuuri. The man appeared to be in deep thought since he did not seem to notice Yuuri standing shocked in the doorway with Yuuri’s mouth hanging slightly open. His bare back looked pale and muscular with broad shoulders and perfectly curved hips.

Yuuri was torn between knocking on the door and running back as fast as he could to his apartment in humiliation. Before Yuuri could decide between the two, the man finally noticed him standing there and gave a bright smile. “Hello! You must be the new waiter!” The man greeted Yuuri like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Yuuri let out some sort of strangled noise while half covering his eyes over his glasses before scrambling back outside and slamming the door. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to come in while you’re changing!” Yuuri apologized through the closed door with his back pressed hard against it.

There was a brief silence inside before the man spoke up loud enough for Yuuri to hear, “Oh! Pardon my appearance, I didn’t expect anyone else to arrive this early. Give me one moment…” Yuuri could hear some quieter shuffling of fabric and then the voice spoke again, “Okay, you can come in now.”

Yuuri hesitantly creaked opened the door and poked his head in. The man was now fully dressed in a cafe uniform. A dark gray button down shirt, black vest, pants, velvet red necktie, and a black apron tied around his waist.

“Sorry about my appearance earlier,” the man apologized in a light tone as Yuuri stepped nervously inside. “Ah, I don’t think we’ve met yet. My name is Viktor Nikiforov, I’m the head manager and star pâtissier of Stammi Vicino.” Viktor extended out his hand with a friendly smile.

“Yuuri Katsuki…” Yuuri introduced himself as he shyly shook Viktor’s hand. _The head manager?! And I came in while he was changing! Oh man this is so embarrassing for my first day._ Yuuri internally freaked out. He already wanted to bury himself in a little hole for walking in on Viktor while he was changing. He quickly tried to erase the image away from his mind, but it was hard to ignore quite a bold entrance.

“So you are the other Yuri!” Viktor spoke excitedly, with a twinkle in his eyes reflecting off the light. “Our Yuri was angrily shouting about how we didn’t need to hire another Yuri,” Viktor mentioned, tapping his index finger to his lips. “But don’t worry, I’m sure he’s feeling a bit prickly because we were teasing him about calling him Yurio from now on so we don’t get you two mixed up.”

“Ah, I see…” Yuuri’s stomach dropped at the idea of Yuri disliking their similar names. He hadn’t even worked with the other Yuri yet and he had a feeling he’d run into trouble already.

“Come, let’s get you changed into your uniform,” Viktor beckoned Yuuri further into the break room. He handed Yuuri his new uniform that was wrapped neatly in a plastic packaging and showed Yuuri his assigned locker where Yuuri could store his personal items during his shifts.

Yuuri excused himself quickly to the bathroom in order to change. He carefully took out his uniform piece by piece from the protective wrapping as if it was delicate. After Yuuri buckled the pants, buttoned the white collared shirt and vest, put on his necktie, and tied his apron, Yuuri gave himself one look in the mirror before stepping out. He wasn’t nearly as good looking as Viktor, but Yuuri looked decent enough. Now that he was wearing the actual uniform, Yuuri started to feel even more nervous than before.

When Viktor spotted Yuuri coming out from the bathroom, Viktor looked at him from head to toe and laughed. Yuuri’s immediate worry was if he somehow left his pants unbuckled or something else that was embarrassing, but instead Viktor’s eyes were focused around Yuuri’s neck.

“Your necktie is crooked, here,” Viktor stepped forward into Yuuri’s personal space to properly show him how to tie it. Yuuri felt his cheeks warm up by the close proximity of Viktor’s face and tried not to react as Viktor’s fingers brushed against the collar of his shirt. “There we are.” Viktor stepped back to take one more look at Yuuri and gave him an approving nod.

“Thank you…” Yuuri stammered out, holding his hands behind his back. His shoulders relaxed once Viktor stepped out of his personal bubble space.

“You’re welcome Yuuri.” Viktor winked . Yuuri felt himself blush again.

“It’s too early to flirt old man, time to open shop!” a voice yelled at them from the doorway. They both turned around to see Yuri, or Yurio now as Viktor nicknamed him, glaring at them as he walked in with his shoulders hunched and green eyes glaring like an angry hawk.

“Yurio! Good morning!” Viktor turned his attention to the teen and tried to hug Yuri.

Yuri squirmed like a cat being forced to be held. “Morning my ass! And no way am I going to be called that!” Yuri shoved Viktor off of him.

“Awe, but it’s cute,” Mila giggled and watched them with an amused expression as she and Georgi walked in from the hallway. Mila was already dressed in her uniform with her apron slung casually over her right forearm. She opened her locker and tossed her purse inside while fixing her bangs with a mirror hanging inside her locker door. Georgi had his apron slung over his left shoulder and he retrieved the rest of his uniform that was kept on a hanger inside his locker.

“Good morning everyone! Looks like we’re all here,” Viktor straightened up his appearance and greeted everyone in the room. “I’m sure you all know by now, but this is our newest Stammi Vicino employee.” Viktor introduced and gestured towards Yuuri to step up front and center.

“Yuuri Katsuki! It’s a pleasure to meet and work with you all!” Yuuri introduced himself again and bowed politely.

“Likewise, pleasure to work with you Yuuri!” Mila and Georgi replied in a friendly tone, except for Yuri who made a “tch” noise with his teeth before his greeting.

“Now then, since Yuuri is new here we’ll need someone for him to shadow in order to get used to his duties,” Viktor explained, holding a finger to his lips again before snapping his fingers at a brilliant idea in his head. “I know! I’ll train you Yuuri!” Viktor personally decided, extending out his hand towards Yuuri. Yuuri blinked at Viktor with surprise, and he wasn’t the only one as Yuri immediately protested.

“Hah?! But you’re our star pâtissier! Let Mila do it, she’s the one that interviewed him!” Yuri interrupted and pointed a finger at Viktor’s chest. “You need to get in the kitchen ready for orders before the rush!”

Viktor laughed and gently brushed Yuri’s hand off of his chest. “I can leave it to Chris, he’s supposed to be back from his vacation in Switzerland,” Viktor remembered. “Besides, wouldn’t it be good to learn from the best?” Viktor threw in another wink towards Yuuri’s direction. Yuuri could only offer a small smile as he tried to keep up with the conversation.

Yuri was about explode in another rant when another voice cut in.

“You called?” A man spoke up in a sultry tone. They all turned their heads to see the tall Swiss appear in the doorway, already dressed in a dark gray chef’s outfit. Chris leaned against the doorway like it was some kind of backdrop for a model magazine. He held one arm casually against the frame and over his head while the other was placed against his curvy hips.

“Chris! Welcome back! How was Switzerland?” Mila asked, walking up to Chris and playfully bumping shoulders with him.

Chris pressed his lips together to form a smile. “Oh it was wonderful, thanks for giving me time off to spend some time at home, boss,” Chris expressed his gratitude and gave a playful wink at Viktor while handing over a souvenir bag that dangled on his fingertips. “I brought you souvenirs too. The finest Swiss chocolate and coffee beans.”

Viktor recognized the brand logos printed on the bag and the boxes, decorated with golden ribbons. “Läderach….Teuscher… I knew I could count on your Chris,” Viktor praised as he examined the contents inside. “It’s good to have an extended business branch in Switzerland.”

Chris blew a kiss towards Viktor. “Only the best for you, mon cherie. So, who’s the new cutie?” Chris finally noticed Yuuri standing in the corner a bit further from everyone else.

Yuuri looked up and smiled nervously when the attention was turned back to him. He never saw Chris before, and Yuuri wasn’t quite yet sure what to think of him yet. The Swiss chef appeared to be friendly around everyone, perhaps a bit overly friendly.

“Oh, you were still on vacation while we were conducting interviews,” Mila filled him in and encouraged Yuuri to step forward. “He’s our new hire!”

Yuuri gave a friendly smile to Chris. “Yuuri Katsuki,” Yuuri held out his hand, who shook it in a firm handshake. Chris’ hand felt a bit rougher compared to Viktor’s hand.

Chris smiled back with a romantic charm in his eyes. “A pleasure Yuuri, Christophe Giacometti, but everyone calls me Chris.”

Yuuri felt he would begin to like Chris, even though he wasn’t quite sure yet what kind of person Chris was to work with. Chris seemed friendly like Viktor, but with a more unique charming personality. Yuuri tried to keep his nervousness down in his stomach while he thought about meeting another new person to work with.

Viktor clapped his hands to call everyone’s attention and give out orders. “Okay everyone! Mila, you’re on table service while I train Yuuri. Georgi, you’re at the counter. Yurio, the coffee roaster. Chris, I already prepared most of our popular items, but if you could stick to making your specialties.”

Yuuri noticed that Viktor held a more focused and directing appearance with a serious tone as he gave out everyone’s assignments. Mila and Georgi both gave a firm nod in understanding. Yuri shrugged and waved a hand like he already knew what to do. Chris smiled and gave Viktor a thumbs up. Yuuri nodded nervously as he gripped his hands together.

When everyone dispersed, Yuuri followed Viktor over to the main cafe area where he explained his tasks. Yuuri would take orders from the seated customers and deliver the cakes, sweets, and coffee. He was also supposed to help take care of the bills and preparing to-go orders at the counter with Georgi. Viktor showed him how to carefully take out an individual cake and wrap it neatly in their cafe box and wrapping.

As soon as the open sign was lit up and the doors were opened, Viktor urged Yuuri forward to greet the customers by giving him a small gentle push forward on his back. The warm and tickling sensation of Viktor’s hand caused Yuuri to blush a little as he stumbled a bit forward nearly tripping on his own feet.

Yuuri stood tall, kept his chin high, and showed a bright smile. “Welcome to Stammi Vicino Pâtissier!” Yuuri greeted. He glanced over to his side where Viktor was still standing beside him and could see Viktor was giving Yuuri a confident smile of approval. Yuuri quickly looked straight in front of him and hoped he didn’t looked distracted by Viktor’s presence.

It was going to be a hot summer.


	2. Americano and Cappuccino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sounds like you’ve got the sweet tooth,” Chris pointed out.
> 
> “I’ve always had a sweet tooth Chris,” Viktor reminded him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you nerdlife4eva as always for beta reading and the inspiration for the cafe setting!

“One Americano and two cappuccinos please!” Yuuri called over to Yuri as he was grabbing their cake orders from the kitchen. 

Yuri gave him a silent nod as he began to roast the coffee. Despite only being 16, Yuri had a knack for roasting coffee.  No one really questioned why a kid is working behind the counter. Yuri always said, if the coffee is good, don’t judge who made it.  

The lunch rush had begun and people were flocking into the cafe. Yuuri had gotten used to the pace pretty quickly and was working the floor with Mila. 

Over the time of his shift, Yuuri began to observe all the little details about the coffee shop. Customers either sat at the counter stools by the windows or at the small round tables. The mugs they served the coffee and tea in were all individually different with no two alike. Viktor had an arrangement of fresh flowers planted near the windows and a few hanging from the ceiling. The checkout counter separated the breakfast/lunch menu items from all the sweets and special cakes. 

Whenever Yuuri passed by the kitchen, he could see Viktor decorating each individual cake from behind the glass windows. Yuuri wondered why the cake decorating area was visible to people seated in the cafe. When he asked, Victor happily stated they were entertaining guests with their skills.

“One Americano and two cappuccinos!” Yuri announced from the counter. Yuuri immediately rushed over to pick up the order.

“Thanks Yuri,” Yuuri tried to smile friendly around the teen.

“Make sure you don’t spill it,” Yuri warned, but his tone didn’t hold any malice. 

Yuuri carried over the coffee to the tables. When he was making his way back to the kitchen, Mila tapped on his shoulder.

“Viktor says you can take a short break Yuuri,” Mila informed him. “The lunch rush is pretty much over and I can pull Georgi from the counter.”

“Okay, thank you.” Yuuri slipped towards the back. He let out a relaxed sigh as he settled into one of the chairs.

A mini lemon cake was placed in front of him. Yuuri blinked in surprise and looked up to see Viktor standing next to him.

“Will you give this a taste test Yuuri?” Viktor requested. “I want to make sure the lemon flavor isn’t too strong.”

“Oh sure!” Yuuri reached for the fork, but Viktor picked it up first and held out a piece towards Yuuri’s mouth.

“Say ahhh Yuuri!” 

Distracted by the gesture, Yuuri let his mouth open on its own. He took a bite without thinking and slowly chewed.

“How does it taste?” Viktor wanted to know.

“It’s...it’s delicious! The lemon flavor blended with vanilla isn’t too strong and it tastes so light and fluffy!” Yuuri had never tasted anything with the amount of sweetness and flavouring without overpowering his taste buds.

Viktor smiled and holds both of Yuuri’s hands. “Thank you Yuuri! I’m glad to have asked for your opinion! If I need another taste test, I’ll let you know okay? Enjoy the rest of your break!”

Viktor rushed off again back to the kitchens, leaving a slightly embarrassed and flustered Yuuri. Yuuri hid his face in his hands. He couldn’t believe he let his gorgeous looking boss feed him like that.

Yuuri was going to need another ten minutes to calm down before walking back out onto the floor again.

In the kitchens, Chris knew something was up when Viktor practically pranced back in like he was floating on white fluffy creme puffs. 

“So how’s training our new boy?” Chris gave a playful pat on Viktor’s shoulder.

“Chris, he is absolutely breathtaking,” Viktor admired as he leaned against the counter. “His round cheeks, his chocolate brown eyes, his adorable face smiling after he tasted my new lemon cake.”

“Sounds like you’ve got the sweet tooth,” Chris pointed out.

“I’ve always had a sweet tooth Chris,” Viktor reminded him.

“I mean sounds like you’re absolutely smitten,” Chris clarified. “Make sure Georgi or Yuri don’t catch you two flirting. You know how they get about your sweet tooth.”

“Do you think Yuuri would prefer a chocolate or vanilla cake for our wedding?” Viktor dreamed aloud.

Chris gave him a look and put one hand on his hips. “Viktor, it’s only been a day, not a full one even. Let the poor boy adjust to his new job first before you make any moves.”

By the end of the cafe’s open hours, Viktor closed up shop and they all began to clean up for the next morning. Yuri and Mila always left an hour early because Yuri and Mila had ballet and dance lessons to attend. Chris and Viktor cleaned up the kitchen while Yuuri and Georgi put up the chairs on the table and mopped the floor.

“How did you find your first day, Yuuri?” Georgi asked as Yuuri was mopping the floor.

“It was great. All the customers were really friendly. Sorry about mixing up the decaf order though, hope Yuri will forgive me.”

Georgi waved off his worry. “Yuri is a lot of bark, but he doesn’t really bite...well except for Viktor. They’ve known each other since they were kids.”

“Really?” Yuuri found that surprising, given their clashing personalities.

Georgi nodded. “He’s still growing, but Viktor says Yuri’s craft in coffee is hard to replace.”

“Georgi, Yuuri, we’re about to lock up,” Viktor told them.

“Yes boss!” They quickly finished cleaning up and headed to the break room to change out of their uniforms.

Georgi and Chris bid them goodnight and left ahead, leaving Viktor to make sure everything was locked up for the night with Yuuri.

“Which way are you headed Yuuri?” Viktor asked as he pocketed his keys.

Yuuri pointed down the street to the direction of his apartment. Viktor frowned a little; they lived in opposite directions. Viktor’s apartment wasn’t too far from the cafe however, so he could still manage an extra walk.

“Let me walk you home Yuuri,” Viktor offered.

“Huh? It’s okay it’s not that dark out and it’s a straight path down a couple of blocks,” Yuuri shook his head.

“Yuuri, as your boss I need to make sure you get home,” Viktor pretended to stand tall with authority. “Besides, we can get to know each other more perhaps?”

“Y...Yes…” Yuuri agreed.

They chatted about work for a bit on the way to Yuuri’s apartment.

“Your late grandfather owned the shop?” Yuuri learned.

“He was an amazing patissier who was famous in Russia and worked at many famous bakeries and restaurants. But then he wanted to run a shop of his own so we moved over here to the states,” Viktor reminisced. “I used to watch him turn ordinary cakes into master creations in the kitchens. He passed away before I graduated from culinary school so I took over his shop after.”

“That’s amazing…”

“What about you, Yuuri?”

“Ah, I’m working towards earning my masters degree at the university I go to,” Yuuri shared. “I would’ve been studying all summer long, but Phichit, my roommate, says I need to get out more and get experience working in a different environment.”

“Masters, wow, what do you study?”

“Business and marketing. My family runs a family inn back home in Japan so they might want me to take over someday, but I’m not sure yet.” Yuuri felt a bit undecided about his future. “My older sister Mari might do it since she’s already working with them regularly.”

“Well I’m sure working at the cafe will be good experience for you.”

They arrived at Yuuri’s apartment building in no time.

“Well um, thanks for walking me home Viktor,” Yuuri waved. 

Viktor waved reluctantly wishing they could’ve had a longer talk or he could treat Yuuri to dinner. Maybe sometime on another day after work.

“Wait!” Viktor suddenly remembered, stopping Yuuri before Yuuri walked into the lobby. Viktor pulled out his cell phone. “I nearly forgot I don’t have your number.”

“Eh? It’s on my employee application,” Yuuri explained.

“Oh.” Viktor stood there dumbly for a minute. “Well let's exchange numbers anyway! I might forget later.”

Yuuri laughed and Viktor thought it was the most adorable sound in the world. “Here’s my number.” Yuuri opened up his contacts. 

After they exchanged numbers, Yuuri sent a text first to test it out. Viktor wanted to save the text forever and made a mental note to take a screenshot of it later.

“Well have a good night Viktor,” Yuuri bid good night.

“Good night Yuuri,” Viktor smiled and waved. He watched Yuuri go until Yuuri stepped into the elevator before he headed back in the direction of the cafe to his home.

As soon as Yuuri stepped into his apartment, Phichit was standing in front of him with a huge grin spread across his cheeks.

“So? Tell me all the juicy details!” Phichit demanded. “Oh, and congrats on the job by the way. I knew you’d get in.”

Yuuri frowned at his roommate, who also has been his best friend since Yuuri’s second year of college when Phichit entered as a freshman. “You weren’t spying on us from the window, were you?”

“Spying and happening to check on my best friend from above to make sure he doesn’t get pounced upon by his gorgeous looking boss are two different things,” Phichit brushed it off. 

“Phichit!” Yuuri groaned.

“That was so smooth though how he asked for your number,” Phichit giggled.

“You heard us?!” 

“Hey, it’s not my fault that we need to crack the window open for a breeze during the summer,” Phichit held up his hands. “I got us some Thai take out by the way, so let’s eat before it gets cold. I want to hear all about your first day!”

“Yes mom,” Yuuri rolled his eyes and teasingly shoved Phichit to the side as he grabbed a drink from their fridge.

Yuuri’s phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He turned on the screen to see who was texting him.

_ Viktor: I hope you have a nice evening Yuuri! <3 _

Yuuri smiled and immediately texted back.

_ Yuuri: Thank you for walking me home. I look forward to working with you Viktor. _

“Texting each other already, you two are already that close?” Phichit peeked over his shoulder.

“Don’t butt into other people’s text message conversations!” Yuuri tried to hide the screen of his phone.

“Sorry, it’s a habit of mine,” Phichit apologized but he didn’t seem very sorry at all. “Besides I’ve never really seen you text anyone before with such a huge smile on your face besides me and your family.”

“It’s nothing! Viktor was wishing me a good evening. He’s being nice.”

“Uh-huh. By the way, your thumb sent a heart emoji,” Phichi pointed. 

Yuuri glanced at his text message log and saw he accidentally sent a heart after his last message when he was trying to hide his phone screen from Phichit. His mind screamed internally but it was too late to take it back now. Viktor had already read it and sent a string of hearts back himself.

Yuuri swore not to text in front of his best friend ever again.


	3. Morning Roast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yuuri, today in addition to serving at the tables, I’d like you to shadow Yurio here on how to roast the coffee,” Viktor instructed.
> 
> “Hah?! Why do I have to teach him?” Yuri protested.

The 5 A.M. alarm clock blared a loud jazzy tune on Viktor’s phone. His hand instinctively switched it off as Viktor sat up in bed. His hair was sticking up in all sorts of direction and his groggy eyes blinked awake. 

Viktor always woke up at the crack of dawn. It was a good thing he was always a morning person, used to getting up early in his childhood to watch his late grandfather bake in the kitchen. Little Viktor back then always got to taste some of the cakes before breakfast. It was their little secret they kept from his mother, and what made Viktor look forward to waking up so early in the morning.

Now twenty years later, Viktor was living alone in a one bedroom apartment two blocks away from the cafe with his standard poodle he affectionately called Makkachin. 

Makkachin woke up the same time as her owner, already up and ready for her morning walk. Letting out a yawn, Viktor scratched Makkachin’s ears before getting up and changing into his jogging outfit.

The cicadas were already chirping as Viktor and Makkachin stepped out into the summer air. While most of the town was still sleeping, Viktor enjoyed the fresh start of the new day. He happily walked Makkachin down the block towards their favorite park and back, humming a few tunes to himself.

When they got back from their walk, Viktor quickly filled Makkachin’s food and water bowl before grabbing an apple and banana for breakfast.

“Be a good girl Makka!” Viktor cooed before heading out before 6 A.M.

One the way to the cafe, Viktor stopped by Crispino’s Floral to pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers for the counter. The shop was managed by the Crispino twins Sara and Michele and their friend Emil who helps with deliveries. The shop normally doesn’t open until 7, but since Viktor is their regular customer who always brings them free cakes from the cafe they always let him in early on Wednesdays. 

“Good morning Sara,” Viktor cheerfully greeted the dark haired lady at the counter.

“Good morning Viktor, I see you’re chipper as always,” Sara greeted him. “I’ve got your bouquet order here ready for you. 

“You’re such a dear, thank you.” Viktor admired the flowers. “Are Michele and Emil around?”

“Mickey’s still asleep and Emil is out back getting ready for today’s deliveries,” Sara explained as she rung up Viktor’s order.

“I see, hope you’ll pass on my greetings to them later. I brought your favorites, mint original cheesecakes for you and Michele, and a strawberry mousse for Emil.” Viktor held up his specially wrapped cafe bag.

“Emil always has such a sweet tooth like you do. Thanks as always Viktor, your cakes are the best in town.”

“Your flowers cheer up the atmosphere, the customers enjoy the seasonal flowers throughout the year decorating our cafe.” Viktor paid for the flowers and tipped extra. “Thank you Sara! I’ll stop by again next Wednesday.” 

Viktor happily continued on his way to the cafe while humming along with the fresh bouquet of flowers in his hands. 

At the cafe he placed the bouquet in the vase on the counter. He took an aesthetic photo of the new flowers as the sun was beginning to light up the area and posted it on Instagram. Viktor always posted photos of his new cakes or flowers in the shop. It helped the publicity as well as was a fun hobby on the side to take pictures of his beloved cafe.

By 7 A.M., Viktor had finished all the preliminary baking and decorating for the morning. After washing his hands and dusting off the flour, he walked over to the bulletin board in the break room to see who was scheduled first for today.

Yuri was scheduled to come in 30 minutes before opening to start prepping the coffee roaster. Mila is always off on Wednesdays. Georgi and Chris won’t arrive till after the lunch rush.

Viktor smiled when he looked at Yuuri’s name. He’ll be coming in after they open. He was already looking forward to his second day working with Yuuri

Viktor checked his watch and his face fell a little seeing it was only a bit after 7. The cafe normally opens at 8, which meant he still had an hour before Yuuri would arrive for his shift. He busied himself with setting up the chairs around the tables, turning on some Italian songs to play in the background. The task was monotonous to do alone, but Viktor got it done and swept the floor by the time Yuri arrived.

“Man you look like a lost puppy,” was the first thing Yuri said when he walked in.

“Yurio, that’s not nice to say to your boss,” Viktor ruffled his hair. Yuri shoved away his hand.

“Whatever, make sure to train him well. We don’t need any incompetent people here, especially one with the same name as me.” Yuri grabbed his uniform and slammed the door of the men’s changing room.

Viktor sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He was used to Yuri’s mood in the mornings, but he hoped he wouldn’t give Yuuri too hard of a time. It would work out better if they could get along.

Viktor placed a finger on his chin and thought of an idea.

When Yuuri finally arrived after opening, Viktor called him over to the counter as soon as he was done changing.

“Yuuri, today in addition to serving at the tables, I’d like you to shadow Yurio here on how to roast the coffee,” Viktor instructed.

“Hah?! Why do I have to teach him?” Yuri protested.

“Yuuri ought to learn how the coffee is made around here in case we need a second roaster,” Viktor explained. “Besides you, I’m the only other person here that can roast well enough and I already have my hands full as the manager and pâtissier.”

“You’ve got to be kidding…” Yuri groaned.

“I’ll add a bit extra to your next pay,” Viktor offered a little incentive.

Yuri was silent for a moment, but then he was hooked in, “Deal. Oi, Katsuki! Get over here and I’ll start teaching you everything I know.”

“Yes!” Yuuri stepped forward towards the shorter barista. Viktor smiled and patted Yuuri on the shoulder.

“Good luck you two! Remember to play nice Yurio!”

Yurio threw a rag at Viktor in disgust before Viktor disappeared into the kitchen again.

“Okay Katsuki, listen to everything I say,” Yuri huffed. He began to teach Yuuri about all the different kinds of coffee beans they keep in the shop, how to measure the amount of beans, and the different types of roast from light to dark.

While Yuuri passed on the coffee orders to Yuri, he lingered around the counter a bit longer than usual to watch Yuri work through the process of making it. It was a lot of information to take in at once, but luckily Yuri had enough patience to repeat anything if Yuuri had any questions.

When Georgi and Chris arrived, Yuuri moved back behind the counter to observe Yuri more. He even helped Yuri scoop out the coffee beans.

“Well that’s more or less how to roast our basic coffee drinks,” Yuri concluded. “Though it would be best to actually learn through experience rather than me talking. If you come in early during your shifts I can teach you better.”

“Got it, I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you Yurio!” Yuuri let his tongue slip. “Oops! I mean…”

Yuri glared at him and Yuuri was afraid he was going to get kicked. But then the shorter teen shrugged it off.

“It’s fine to call me that, only because it gets annoying being called the same name,” Yuri muttered. “And it doesn’t sound as bad when you say it compared to the old man.” Yuri gestured towards the kitchen.

“Old man? Oh you mean Viktor?”

“He’s old enough to be an old man because he’s near his 30s,” Yuri smirked.

“How rude, I’m only 28! I heard that Yurio!” a shout came from the kitchen.

Yuri and Yuuri looked at each other before snickering together.

“At least I can teach you how to make coffee better than Viktor can teach you how to bake,” Yuri  exclaimed. “He’d be so distracted in the kitchen he’d spill frosting everywhere if you were around him.”

“Haha, that’s kinda hard to imagine for a star patissier,” Yuuri laughed.

“Trust me, that guy trips over his own feet and will get his face stuck in a cream pie when he gets into his disgusting moods,” Yuri shared as he fiddled with his ponytail. 

Suddenly there was a loud noise in the kitchen and a string of curse words that Yuuri assumed sounded like Russian.

“See what I mean?” Yuri slapped a palm to his face before turning back to the roast. Yuuri decided it was time to get back out on the floor.

In the kitchen, Chris had witnessed the famous Nikiforov Pâtissier spectacle.

“Viktor, did you trip over a rolling pin again?” Chris dared to ask as Viktor was bent over the sink trying to wash off the frosting that got all over his face.

Viktor frowned at his friend. “Pass me the towel Chris!”

Chris was about to toss it in his face when Yuuri poked his head to check if things were okay. Chris leaned down and whispered something to Yuuri before passing him the towel with a wink.

“Thank you Chris,” Viktor accepted the towel that was handed to him without knowing it was actually Yuuri until he finished rubbing his face dry. “Y...Yuuri?”

“Are you okay Viktor?” Yuuri looked concerned. “We heard the noise from the counter.”

“I’m fine! Fit as a fruitcake! I had a tiny accident in the kitchen,” Viktor felt embarrassed being caught in such an unglamorous appearance.

Without warning Yuuri reached forward and brushed his hand over the tip of Viktor’s nose.

“Ah, sorry! You had a bit of frosting still, see?” Yuuri held out his finger to show a bit of frosting Viktor missed. Yuuri even licked it off of his finger.

“Oh, thank you...Yuuri…” the words seemed to slowly die in Viktor’s throat.

“Well I better get back out there on the floor. Try not to injure yourself back here!” Yuuri rushed out. When Yuuri left, Viktor sighed and leaned against the counter with his face in his hands.

“Huh, what’s wrong Katsuki, your face is all red?” Yuri stared at him when Yuuri came back.

“Ah...it’s nothing Yurio…” Yuuri waved it off. But for some reason his heart wouldn’t stop racing.

Could this be…?

Yuuri stopped his thought before it completed. He felt the blush deepening on his cheeks.

There’s no way it could mean anything.


	4. Happy Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Viktor can't keep their eyes off of each other. They end up being teased by Chris and involved in a happy accident at the end of the work day. Plus a surprise visit from Phichit!

Already two weeks have gone by since Yuuri was hired at Stammi Vicino Patissier. He was pretty much accepted as one of the cafe family members now. 

On Wednesdays Yuuri learns how to roast coffee with Yurio. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Yuuri spends time around Mila and Georgi hearing their sweet and also slightly bitter love gossip in between serving customers. Fridays, Chris always calls Yuuri to the kitchen to get to know each other more personally, which would often result in Viktor throwing spoons at Chris. 

Saturdays when Viktor was holed up in the kitchen preparing custom orders or restocking their most popular sweets, Yuuri often watches him by the window. Any time Yuuri entered the kitchen or went on break, Viktor asked to taste his cakes. After the tenth tasting Yuuri had to decline because he was worried about the weight he’d put on.

On Sundays, the cafe doesn’t open till 11 and closes early at 5. Viktor often spends most of the time sighing because Sundays were Yuuri’s days off. Yuuri promised Phichit they would save one day of the week for best friend hangout time.

When Monday arrived again, Viktor immediately hugged Yuuri as soon as Yuuri walked into work.

“Yuuri! I missed you!” Viktor hugged him tight.

“Viktor! It’s only been two days since we worked together!” Yuuri felt embarrassed and was already blushing.

“Two days is too long,” Viktor whined. “How can I work without seeing your adorable face?”

“I texted you yesterday to ask how the cafe was doing didn’t I?” Yuuri told him as he gently eased his way out of Viktor’s arms before Yuuri’s face melted.

“That was only about work though,” Viktor pouted. “I want to talk to you about fun things.”

“You always text me in the mornings and evenings,” Yuuri pointed out.

“Phew, is it getting hot in here? Did Viktor leave the oven on?” Chris teased as he walked in.

“Chris!” Yuuri immediately pushed away from Viktor and ran out of the kitchen.

“Awe, he’s really cute when he gets all flustered, am I right Viktor?....Viktor?” Chris walked up to his best friend and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

“Chris….I think….” Viktor mumbled.

“What? I can’t hear you?” Chris leaned in closer.

Viktor groaned and rested his face on the counter. “Chris, I think I’m in love.”

“Two weeks, I’m impressed you finally realized it. I didn’t think you’d last that long,” Chris whistled as he started pulling out baking utensils. 

“What am I going to do?” Viktor hid his face in his arms.

“Ask him out, take him on a pretty date, feed him dessert,” Chris started listing suggestions.

“But I’m his boss! You know how badly romance crumbles in a work environment,” Viktor gripped the roots of his hair.

“You watch way too many dramas. Besides, I don’t see a problem with it as long as it doesn’t affect your patissier craft.” Chris walked over and lightly slapped Viktor’s hands. “And stop that, you’ll lose more hair than your poodle and turn bald.”

“I’m only 28! And I can’t go bald, Yuuri won’t like me anymore if I don’t keep my fabulous hair!” Viktor fussed.

Chris shrugged and went back to preparing the ingredients.

At the front Yuuri did his best to calm down and serve the customers. As he was organizing the decorative wrapping at the counter, someone called his attention.

“Yuuri!”

Yuuri looked up and his face lit up in a huge smile. “Phichit! What are you doing here?”

“I came to see my best friend working in this sweet cafe! Hi Mila!” Phichit waved to Mila who waved back.

“Hi Phichit, here to make another delivery?” Mila walked up to them at the counter and smiled.

“Yup! This is for you! Sara saved your favorites!” Phichit handed Mila a beautiful bouquet. 

“Thank you, tell her thanks for the flowers, they’re gorgeous as always,” Mila smiled before turning to Yuuri. “Mind if I go to the back to put this in a vase?”

“Sure, I can handle things here,” Yuuri nodded. 

“Thank you Yuuri, you’re so sweet!” Mila gave a quick peck on Yuuri’s cheek before taking the flowers to the break room. The blush on Yuuri’s cheeks returned and Phichit grinned at him.

“Seems like you’ve been fitting in so well here Yuuri!” Phichit sang.

“It’s only been two weeks Phichit, they’re only being nice because I’m new here,” Yuuri denied. “Anyway, what’s up with the flowers?”

“Oh right, I didn’t tell you yet!” Phichit gasped. “I’m now a flower delivery boy at Crispino’s Florist.”

“Crispino’s….isn’t that where Viktor gets fresh flowers for the cafe from?” Yuuri recalled.

“Yup! I was hired a week after you were hired here, but this is the first time I made a direct delivery to the cafe,” Phichit explained. “Normally I deliver flowers to other places with Emil, but since I was heading out on my lunch break Sara asked if I could deliver her flowers to Mila.”

“You should have told me sooner,” Yuuri laughed.

“I wanted to surprise you! Anyway, since I’m here, where’s the sweet looking patissier Viktor Nikiforov that walks you home every night?” Phichit raised his eyebrows.

“It’s not every night!” Yuuri blushed and lowered his voice to whisper from behind a serving tray. “He’s in the kitchen...you might be able to see him from the viewing window.”

Phichit leaned out to take a glance at Viktor. Viktor was working on a chocolate cake while directing orders to Chris in the kitchen.

“Ohoho, so you watch him every day from here-wait a sec’, is that Christophe Giacometti?” Phichit squealed.

“You mean Chris? Yeah, he works in the kitchen with Viktor-”

“You never told me your worked with THE Giacometti!” Phichit slammed his hands on the counter, which accidentally drew a few stares.

“Phichit! Shhh!” Yuuri tried to calm down his friend. “What’s the big deal?”

“What’s the big deal? Yuuri, Giacometti’s chocolatier? Doesn’t that ring a bell?”

“Huh? Oh yeah you brought home a box once…” Yuuri vaguely recalled.

“He’s famous Yuuri! Giacometti’s chocolates are especially famous in Switzerland! His truffles are amazingly rich in flavor that melt in your mouth like heaven,” Phichit praised.

“I could...introduce you to him sometime? He seems really nice,” Yuuri offered, leaving out the part where he gets constantly teased because of Viktor’s playfulness.

“Would you? Oh my gosh I’d be so happy I’d die and float straight into hamster heaven! But first let’s take a selfie for Instagram!”

“Phichit, I don’t know if that’s allowed!” Yuuri protested, but he smiled for the selfie anyway as Phichit hit the button. It was very hard to refuse Phichit.

“It’s fine! You should see all the photos Viktor posts on the cafe’s instagram. Look there’s even one of you in here, I think it was on your first day.” Phichit pulled it up on his phone and showed Yuuri.

Yuuri looked at the screen and saw Viktor had posted a full body picture of him while Yuuri was serving the cakes to the customers. Yuuri’s face in the photo was smiling at the customers.

_ stammi-vicino-patissier: New waiter at our lovely cafe! He’s such a cutie, love the smile!  _

“I had no idea…” Yuuri felt slightly embarrassed.

“He probably doesn’t know you have an Instagram so he couldn’t tell you.” Phichit glanced at the time on his phone. “Oops! My lunch break is almost over. Michele is going to kill me if I’m late. Can I take one of those sandwiches and pay you later?”

“It’s on the house,” Mila came back as Yuuri was bagging Phichit’s sandwich to go. “Take it as payment for the flowers.”

“Thanks Mila! Bye Yuuri! I’ll be sure to come back and visit again! And don’t forget to introduce me to Christophe later!” Phichit ran off.

“Bye Phichit.” Yuuri chuckled. As annoying as his roommate was sometimes, Phichit had a special talent for bringing in sunshine even on a rainy day.

“Your friend is really nice,” Mila commented. “Viktor might get jealous.”

“Why would he get jealous?” Yuuri tilted his head.

“Oh you know, perhaps because flower boy is all buddy with his crush,” Mila giggled.

“Oh...Viktor has a crush on someone at the flower shop?” Yuuri seemed oblivious.

“Nah, Viktor’s crush might actually be working at the cafe,” Mila hinted before walking back out on the floor. Yuuri seemed even more confused.

_ Someone he has a crush on at the cafe who Phichit is familiar with….could it be Chris?  _ Yuuri pondered. 

He glanced back at the kitchen where Viktor seemed to be complaining to Chris again about something and Chris was just laughing it off.

“Yuuri, can you make me a cafe latte for table 13?” Mila asked.

“Oh, yes! Right on it!” Yuuri turned to start preparing the drink. As he was waiting for the coffee to pour into the cup, Yuuri glanced up at Viktor and Chris again in the kitchen. They do seem really close.

“Yuuri, your hand!” Mila shouted and snapped Yuuri out of his daze.

“Wha-!” Yuuri had subconsciously stuck his fingers under the burning hot liquid. He pulled it back immediately but knocked a few cups from the counter on the floor.

CRASH.

“Oh no!” Yuuri knelt down to pick up the pieces off the floor, but one of the shards cut his finger. “Ouch!”

“I’ll clean up! Quick go to the bathroom to wash your hands!” Mila urged as she brought out the broom and dustpan. Yuuri gave an apologetic bow and rushed to the sink, cradling his hands.

The cut wasn’t bad, but his hands stung a little from being burned with the hot coffee. Yuuri bit back the tears of humiliation and pain.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

“Yuuri? Are you okay? Mila said you hurt your hands,” Viktor spoke through the door with a concerned tone in his voice.

Yuuri quickly brushed away the tears on the sleeve of his uniform before stepping out. “I...I’m fine...I’m sorry about the mess...I’ll pay for the cups and remake the drink.”

“Chris got it, don’t worry. He may be the assistant pastry chef, but he knows a thing or two about coffee drinks,” Viktor assured him before glancing down. “Now let me see your hands. We should treat your cut.”

Yuuri silently nodded as he followed Viktor to the break room. Viktor urged Yuuri to sit on the chair as he pulled out the first aid kit. When Viktor pulled up a chair and gently reached forward to apply a bandaid, Yuuri started sobbing.

“Yuuri?! Yuuri what’s wrong? Does it hurt? Are you in pain?” Viktor panicked.

“No...I’m...it’s….please don’t fire me!” Yuuri bowed his head low and begged.

Viktor blinked before placing a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “Yuuri, honey, I’m not going to fire you. You had one tiny accident that is already taken care of. It happens all the time.”

“But...but I broke the cafe cups…” Yuuri hiccuped.

“We can easily replace them, and there will be no need to pay for them yourself,” Viktor told him. “They were old anyway and would’ve had to be thrown out eventually.”

Viktor handed Yuuri some tissues and Yuuri blew his nose. Once he finally calmed down, Viktor pulled him into a hug.

“We all make mistakes Yuuri. You should hear about all the times I’ve tripped over a rolling pin in the kitchen or accidentally burned the cupcakes,” Viktor shared. “Or the time when I accidentally dropped a cake on Yurio’s head. Yurio was furious.”

Yuuri laughed picturing Yurio’s face with cake on his head.

“There’s my adorable waiter,” Viktor happily cheered. “Now then, how would you like to come along and pick some new coffee cups with me?”

“Haha, that sounds like a date,” Yuuri giggled.

“I wouldn’t disapprove of it,” Viktor winked, making Yuuri blush.


	5. Rainy Cup of Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Cats would be more entertaining to serve than people," Yurio muttered, and it made Yuuri giggle a little.
> 
> "We can't serve cats coffee," Yuuri pointed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to spend every day drinking coffee and eating sweets at Viktor's cafe with Yuuri as my waiter lol. Especially on a rainy day.
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments! <3

The cafe had a calm, mellow morning atmosphere. Soft piano music played on the speakers, with the sound of cups, plates, and the coffee machine added in once in awhile between songs.

Yuuri watched the rain outside gently fall down on the streets and sidewalks. Only a few customers had decided to crawl out of their cozy bed to come in for a sweet treat or a warm cup of coffee or tea.

While Yurio worked behind the counter brewing the coffee, Yuuri focused on serving the customers at the tables. Yuuri initiated some small chat with the few customers they had and brightened their day with his adorable smile and sweet personality. He shared stories about home in Japan with his family and poodle, or what were his favorite items on the menu.

When there was a lull in the afternoon and the rain showed no signs of clearing up any time soon, Yurio angrily stomped his foot as Yuuri cleared the table from the last customers.

"It's too gloomy in here! This kind of atmosphere practically screams of Georgi's mood," Yurio complained.

"Well it can't be helped on a rainy summer day," Yuuri shrugged as he carried the empty plates and cups to the sink and started washing them.

"Cats would be more entertaining to serve than people," Yurio muttered, and it made Yuuri giggle a little.

"We can't serve cats coffee," Yuuri pointed out.

"I know that! But at least they're cuter to watch rather than people staring at their phones all day." Yurio let out a huff and grabbed a wet towel to clean the counter.

Yuuri smiled and decided to give the teen a small treat to make up for this gloomy atmosphere. He had been getting better at brewing coffee and recently figured out how to make latte art with the creamer. Yuuri knew Yurio, despite roasting coffee all day, can't drink anything too bitter. Yuuri added vanilla and a bit of caramel to sweeten the flavor and made a vanilla caramel latte. He carefully poured the cream and crafted it in the shape of a cat. When Yurio was done wiping the countertop, Yuuri carefully slid the latte over to him.

"Huh? What's this?" Yurio stared at it with a confused frown.

"Consider it a special treat for today since we don't have any customers right now," Yuuri smiled. "It's mostly for practice so I don't think Viktor would mind."

Yurio stared at the cat shaped latte cream before whipping out his phone and snapping a picture.

"Whoa! This is really cool! How did you do this? I didn't know you could make something like this with coffee!" Yurio cheered up. It was the first time Yuuri had ever seen Yurio so cheerful and excited.

"Haha, it's nothing really," Yuuri felt embarrassed and scratched his blushing cheek a little. "I carefully poured the cream to make it look like a cat. It's kind of like drawing, except in a coffee cup."

"Do you-....do you think you could teach me?" Yurio hesitated a little, but he was genuinely curious. Yuuri could see a new spark in Yurio's eyes.

Yuuri warmed up to him. "Sure, but try my vanilla caramel latte first before it gets cold."

They spent the next half hour together practicing latte art. Yurio wanted to make a tiger, but it was harder to pour the cream steady enough to keep the lines in shape. His final result looked like some kind of fat polar bear with whiskers.

"This is harder than I thought," Yurio grumbled as they drank the fifth cup they made.

"It takes quite a bit of practice," Yuuri advised. "I watched a lot of tutorials for tricks on how people can do it."

"I'm going to make the best tiger latte art someday!" Yurio decided before starting to clean up again.

Yuuri looked at all the cups and noticed there was still one latte left that he made. It was a mocha latte with a poodle shaped cream Yuuri tried on a whim. It was still hot, so Yuuri brought it over to the kitchen hoping he could get Viktor to try it.

On rainy days Viktor usually spends time reading over new recipes for the cafe or practicing his dessert decorating techniques. Yuuri found him leaning against the counter, one arm crossed over his chest while the other was holding up a dessert magazine. Victor's fringe was clipped back with a hair clip so it wouldn't get in the way while Viktor was reading. His eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration as Viktor scanned over an article.

Yuuri thought the hair clip was cute, and felt curious about what it would be like to touch Viktor's hair. It looked really soft and well cared for, unlike Yuuri's hair which he quickly brushes every morning till it's more or less not sticking up everywhere. Yuuri blushed at the thought of asking to touch Viktor's fancy hair and snapped his mind back to what he was originally in the kitchen for.

Yuuri cleared his throat and knocked softly on the wall. Viktor looked up immediately and his whole face brightened up as soon as he saw Yuuri.

"Yuuri! What can I do for you? How's serving the customers out there?" Viktor asked, even though he could clearly see everything from the window between the kitchen and the seating area.

"It's going well," Yuuri replied. "We don't really have any customers seated right now due to the weather though."

"Ah yes, summer rain, it always happens on random days and there's no telling whether it will pass or stick around," Viktor sighed. "Sorry to have to ask you to work on a day like this."

"Oh it's no problem! I enjoyed talking to the customers that came in today without being rushed! And, um, also..." Yuuri held up the mocha latte with the poodle latte art. "Yurio and I decided to practice making latte art since we didn't have any customers to serve. If you'd like, I made  this one for you."

"For me? Oh Yuuri you're so sweet! Thank you!" Viktor accepted the cup happily. He noticed the poodle art in the cup and his heart melted. "It looks too cute to drink!"

Yuuri laughed when Viktor carefully set the cup down on the kitchen counter for a moment and pulled out his phone to snap a dozen pictures from every angle.

"I know it's cute, but don't forget to drink it. I can’t guarantee the good taste if it cools down," Yuuri laughed.

"A shame I do have to drink it, but I'll enjoy every sip! Thank you Yuuri!" Viktor hugged Yuuri before lifting up the cup again to take a sip. Yuuri couldn't help himself from staring as he waited to hear Victor's reaction.

"Vkusno!" Viktor exclaimed. "It's really delicious Yuuri!"

"Ah...I see, that makes me happy to hear," Yuuri gave a dazed response.

"Yuuri?" Viktor tilted his head in confusion. "Are you alright? Do you feel dizzy?" Viktor placed a hand on Yuuri's forehead to feel his temperature. Yuuri's face flushed bright red at the close contact. Viktor's hand felt really warm on Yuuri's forehead.

"I'm fine! Sorry I spaced out a little," Yuuri took a step back.  The bell of the door chimed as new customers walked in and Yuuri turned around to head back. "I better head back out on the floor. Yurio will need help serving the customers!"

"Yuuri!" Viktor pouted a little, but let Yuuri go. Viktor wondered if he made Yuuri feel uncomfortable, but he was concerned with Yuuri's well-being. Viktor wouldn't want another incident of one of his workers fainting at work.

Viktor enjoyed the rest of his latte while watching Yuuri serve the customers.

The rain continued to fall into the late afternoon. At 3 P.M, Chris and Georgi arrived to switch with Yurio and Viktor. Georgi seemed even more of a hopeless romantic today compared to any other day. Yuuri listened to his long monologues about couples and love on rainy days. Yurio was more than glad to get out of the cafe.

On Yuuri's break, Viktor called him over into the break room. Yuuri had noticed Viktor had changed out of his apron and pastry chef uniform and was dressed in a white shirt, a tan colored jacket and jeans.

"I'm sorry to have to ask you on your break, but would you like to accompany me on an errand?" Viktor inquired. "I was thinking of picking out some new coffee cups, and it'd be great to get a second opinion. I have trouble deciding on the designs."

"I'd be glad to help!" Yuuri volunteered. "It was my fault for breaking the old cups..."

"Yuuri, I'd already forgiven you for that, please don't worry about it," Viktor patted Yuuri on the head. "You can change out of your uniform if you'd like. I'll need to inform Chris before we go, even though I can trust him to make sure things run smoothly while we're out."

Yuuri nodded as Viktor headed back to the kitchen to find Chris. Yuuri changed into a V neck navy blue shirt and khaki shorts.

"Alright we're all set," Viktor announced as he came back.

When they walked out together Yuuri realized he forgot his umbrella, but Viktor offered to share his. Viktor thanked the heavens for this moment.

They walked in silence together towards the shop Viktor mentioned. Yuuri felt very concious of walking right next to Viktor; their shoulders brushing against each other every few steps.

"Are you feeling alright Yuuri?" Viktor asked.

"Yes!" Yuuri answered a little too quickly and stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk. Viktor caught him before Yuuri fell face flat in the puddle. "T...Thank you..."

"I'm sorry," Viktor suddenly apologized as they straightened up and continued walking.

"Huh?" Yuuri glanced up at Viktor, who was staring at something random across the street.

"For making you feel uncomfortable. I thought it'd be nice to go out for a bit even if it's an errand since business was slow. But I apologize if it was too forward of me to ask."

"You don't have to apologize for that, I still wanted to come along," Yuuri reassured Viktor. "Sorry, um, I guess I still feel nervous since you are my boss after all."

Yuuri expected Viktor to laugh and joke about it, so he was taken aback when Viktor didn't respond and stopped walking for a moment.

"Viktor?" Yuuri stopped.

"Am I...do you think I'm doing a proper job as your boss?" Viktor showed some signs of insecurity. "I know most of the time I work in the kitchen or handle all the paperwork, but sometimes I feel rather inadequate even as a star patissier."

"I think you're doing a great job!" Yuuri boldly stated. "I mean, the customers are always smiling when they walk in and even when they leave. We get a lot of comments about the desserts you made, and people are always coming back. That wouldn't be possible without you!"

"Yuuri....I....thank you," Viktor blushed a little. "You're the first person that's ever complimented me so strongly. It's true that I've gotten good reviews and nice comments before, but...I always thought people were only being nice."

"Phichit, my roommate, has a saying that if people like the food, they won't stop stuffing their faces and talking about it at the same time," Yuuri quoted. "I don't know about talking and eating at the same time, but we definitely get people who will stuff their faces with you cakes or talk about it to their friends."

“I see, I suppose I will take that as a compliment then,” Viktor laughed.

They stopped in front of an antique shop with a wood carved hand painted sign. The shop windows displayed a variety of antiques from old clocks to figurines. Yuuri thought it had a nice charm to it as they walked in.

The inside looked small and old fashioned, but with enough space to move around without knocking things over. The dark oak wooden floors creaked a little under their shoes. The shop was lit with a variety of antique lamps.

“Welcome- oh if it isn’t Viktor? It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you in my shop,” the shopkeeper greeted them. An old man dressed in a typical work shirt, pants, apron, and a cap on his head stood up from his chair behind the counter.

“Hi~ it’s good to see you again Nikolai,” Victor waved. “Yuuri, this is the shopkeeper and a long time friend, Nikolai Plisetsky.”

“Pleased to meet you sir, my name is Yuuri Katsuki, I work at Viktor’s cafe.” Yuuri bowed. “Huh? Plisetsky? So that means you’re…?”

“So you’re name is Yuri too,” Nikolai chuckled with a deep voice, “I hope my grandson Yura hasn’t been causing too much trouble.”

“Not at all! Yurio-I mean Yuri and I get along well! He’s been so nice teaching me how to brew coffee.”

“Ah, Yura’s coffee is always the best,” Nikolai smiled. “I taught him most of what he knows. But we can share stories another time. What brings you two fine gentleman in today?”

Viktor started asking Nikolai some things, but Yuuri noticed they both started speaking in Russian so he couldn’t quite follow the conversation. Instead, Yuuri looked around the shop at the different antiques. He was especially fond of the miniature figurines in the store like the music boxes. He highly considered stopping by here again another time to buy a gift for his family.

“Yuuri? Come and help me decide which ones to pick for our cafe!” Viktor called him over. Yuuri inched his way over to one of the display tables that featured various tea cups and coffee mugs.

Each cup was uniquely shaped with different palettes of color and no two alike. Yuuri gently picked up a few in his hand to get a feel for them. Some of the antique cups looked pretty, but seemed fragile or hard to hold for everyday use at a coffee shop.

“I think these ones would be nice,” Yuuri pointed to a blue and a white cup with a wavy pattern and another with a floral pattern. “They’re comfortable to hold with your fingers and don’t seem too fragile.”

“Great! We’ll take these two, and also these ones please,” Victor pointed out two more cups he chose with star constellations design. Nikolai nodded and started to carefully wrap each cup in their own box while Viktor and Yuuri looked around the shop more.

“Oh! I recognize this song! It’s a lullaby my mother used to sing to me,” Viktor picked up a tiny music box. Yuuri looked over Victor’s shoulder and watched a fairy figurine twirl around with a sheep inside a royal blue box with silver pattern. Even though Yuuri had never heard it before, he felt nostalgic listening to the song.

While Victor paid for the cups, Yuuri stared at the music box Viktor found. He checked the price on the tag. Yuuri didn’t want Viktor to catch him paying, so he asked Viktor to wait outside for a moment while he asked Nikolai something about Yurio’s coffee skills.

Thankfully Viktor wasn’t suspicious at all and gladly waited outside. Yuuri checked to make sure Viktor wasn’t peeking through the window before asking Yurio’s grandpa if he could pay in advance for the music box and come back for it later after work. Nikolai smiled and nodded in understanding. He promised to keep it wrapped for Yuuri behind the counter. Yuuri quickly paid and hurried out to rejoin Viktor. They headed back to the cafe together with the newly bought coffee cups, chatting about the usual cafe business that awaited them when they returned.

Yuuri couldn’t wait to see the look on Viktor’s face later when Yuuri revealed his surprise.


	6. The New Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be the usual morning rush at the cafe. Viktor and Chris were whipping up cakes and pastries like maestros in the kitchen. Yuuri and Yurio were working the counter and floor. Mila was scheduled to come in during lunch hours. Georgi was….

It was supposed to be the usual morning rush at the cafe. Viktor and Chris were whipping up cakes and pastries like maestros in the kitchen. Yuuri and Yurio were working the counter and floor. Mila was scheduled to come in during lunch hours. Georgi was….

“Georgi’s not coming?!” Viktor was shocked to find a handwritten note of absence personally delivered by Mila. “He was supposed to come in at noon today!”

“Apparently his girlfriend Anya broke up with him last night,” Mila informed him. “So he claimed he’s gonna need a few days to recover.”

Viktor did the math in his head. They weren’t exactly short staffed, but Georgi was scheduled quite a few days during the upcoming week. He could probably split the hours evenly between the rest of the staff to cover the days Georgi would be M.I.A, but who knows how long it’ll take for Georgi to recover from his broken heart. 

“I’ll see if I can get a temporary hire,” Viktor decided as he let out a sigh. “There’s a bakery down the street around the corner that we occasionally partner up with for business.”

“Oh, Honey Bear Buns!” Mila recalled. “I remember that place. Leo and Guang-Hong work there.”

“Yeah, I’ll ask if one of them could work here,” Viktor suggested. “They normally delivery some of their special bear shaped honey buns, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to train them on short notice.”

On his break, Viktor hurried to the bakery on the corner, hoping that either Leo or Guang-Hong were on shift today. 

Honey Bear Buns was small bakery with a wooden sign hanging above the entrance door with a picture of a bear holding honey buns. Leo de la Iglesia’s family runs the bakery. The interior decoration resembles an old fashioned country style house. The moment Viktor stepped in, he could smell the sweet honey aroma from the buns freshly made every morning.

When Viktor stepped inside he was greeted by a face he didn’t recognize.

“Hello! Welcome to Honey Bear Buns!” a short boy with dirty blonde hair and red streaked bangs greeted with enthusiasm.

“Um...hello, is Leo or Guang-Hong in today?” Viktor asked.

“Leo’s in the back! I can go grab him for you! May I have your name sir?” the boy spoke excitedly. It sort of reminded Viktor of an eager puppy-like boy wanting to play.

“Viktor.”

“Okay Viktor! Please wait a moment!” the boy hurried to the back. Viktor waited off to the side so that other customers could walk up to the counter. His eyes browsed over the pastries that were neatly displayed. The bakery was famous for their honey buns, but they also had a wide variety of other pastries that were created out of a mix of Spanish and American influences. The shelves were stocked with a variety of honey buns, cinnamon buns, donuts, churros, and dozens of other family made recipes.

“Hey Viktor! What brings you in today?” Leo came out from the back, dressed in a flour covered apron, jeans, and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

“I hate to make sudden appearances like this, but Georgi is….really sick right now. Could you or Guang-Hong possibly come over and help at our cafe?” Viktor inquired. 

“Awe man, Ji and I would love to help, but it’s inventory week,” Leo frowned a bit. “You know how those days get. Sorry dude.”

“Oh no worries! I know it’s last minute. I’m sure we can manage somehow,” Viktor shook his head. “Thanks anyway.”

Viktor was about to turn and leave when Leo had an idea.

“Hold on a sec Vik,” Leo stopped him and looked over his shoulder. “Hey Minami, come over here for a sec!”

Viktor noticed the eager puppy like boy that greeted him earlier came back in a flash.

“What’s up Leo?” Minami asked.

“You’ve done a bit of restaurant work before right?” Leo brought up.

“Uh-huh, though I was mostly a bus boy,” Minami shared.

“Fair enough.” Leo turned back to Viktor. “Minami is one of our new hires. He’s still in training, but it could be some good experience to send him to your cafe for a bit.” 

“I’d be in your debt,” Viktor expressed. “It’ll only be for a short period until Georgi comes back. Minami? How would you like to temporarily come work at my cafe, Stammi Vicino Patissier?”

“The famous patissier?! The one that has those amazing mini cakes? I’d be delighted!” Minami raised his hand. “When should I start?”

“You could take him right now to get a feel for the place and sort out the contract stuff later,” Leo suggested. “I gotta get back to bringing out a batch of doughnuts.”

“Thank you Leo! Well shall we get going Minami?” Viktor smiled at Minami.

“Yes! I’ll be in your care Mister Viktor!” Minami politely bowed.

“You can call me Viktor, there’s no need for formalities,” Viktor laughed as they headed back to the cafe. “So tell me about yourself Minami…”

 

* * *

“And there you have it, Minami will be our temporary staff member on the floor,” Viktor announced to the team.

“Minami Kenjirou! Pleased to meet you all! I’ll do my best!” Minami introduced himself. Everyone clapped in response.

“Let’s see...Yuuri will be your mentor! He was also a new hire a few weeks ago, I’m sure you two will get along well,” Victor delegated.

“Nice to meet you Minami, I’m Yuuri Katsuki,” Yuuri shook Minami’s hand. 

“Nice to meet you too Yuuri!” Minami answered excitedly.

“Tch, another annoying one,” Yuri grumbled before Mila shoved her elbow on his head.

“Awe, come on he looks adorable like a puppy!” Mila commented.

“Such pure innocence,” Chris agreed. 

“Alright let’s get back to work! I’m counting on all of you!” Viktor concluded the meeting.

Minami followed Yuuri to the floor like a baby chick. He listened diligently as Yuuri instructed him on all the tasks and responsibilities they do. For the first day Minami mostly shadowed Yuuri in order to learn the ins and outs of the cafe. 

Tomorrow wouldn’t be so bad.

Minami comfortably fit into the cafe flow almost immediately with his experience working in a restaurant in the past. He greeted customers with a friendly enthusiasm, neatly cleared tables, washed the dishes, and already memorized some of the star menu items to recommend. Minami got along well with the staff including Yurio, and was always bouncing over to Yuuri for questions and feedback.

But then there was the coffee incident.

While Minami was on break, Yurio slid him a cup of espresso.

“Oh, is this for a customer?” Minami checked.

Yurio rolled his eyes and scuffed his shoes on the flood. “No, shortcake, it’s for you. On the house.”

“Thank you Yuri, but I actually can’t drink-”

“It’s not alcohol,” Yurio pointed out the obvious. “It won’t hurt to drink a cup in the afternoon. Hurry up before it gets cold!”

“Ok!!!” Minami quickly took a sip. “Wow this is really good!”

“Of course it’s good, I’m the best roaster around here,” Yurio grinned.  “Don’t forget to place the cup in the sink when you’re done.”

Minami enjoyed the espresso during his break. As soon as Minami finished he placed the cup in the sink like he was told, but felt kind of funny after drinking it.

“Minami! Can I ask you to take care of table 12 for me?” Yuuri called him.

“Yes!! Right away Yuuri!!” Minami rushed back out onto the floor, barely avoiding running into Yuuri on the way. Minami appeared at table 12 in a flash and spoke excitedly to the customers. After Minami jotted down their orders he immediately rushed back to the counter.

“A espresso macchiato! Two strawberry shortcakes! Hot chocolate!” Minami spoke sporadically. 

“Slow down squirt! I can’t understand your orders!” Yurio yelled.

Minami repeated his orders, but his voice sounded higher than normal and Minami was literally bouncing on his feet.

“Minami? Are you alright?” Yuuri observed and asked worriedly.

“Yes! No need to worry!” Minami squeaked. 

“Here! Espresso Macchiato, two strawberry shortcakes, and your hot chocolate!” Yurio handed him his order on a tray.

“Thanks!” Minami quickly grabbed it and turned around to serve it to table 12-

“MINAMI WATCH OUT!” Yuuri warned.

Minami wasn’t paying attention to his footing and slipped. 

*CRASH*

Viktor and Chris stopped working in the kitchen and looked through the kitchen window.

“Guess we’ll need to get out the wet floor sign again,” Chris mused.

The floor trio ended up in Viktor’s office soon after.

“So...would any of you three care to tell me how one of you managed to drop an entire order of food and coffee on the floor?” Viktor stared hard at them with his arms crossed.

“It was my fault sir! I rushed too fast and tripped!” Minami bowed in apology.

“No, I should’ve helped with carrying the order. I was in charge of mentoring you,” Yuuri also apologized.

Only Yurio remained quiet.

“Yurio?” Viktor sent a cold stare down the teen’s spine.

“Well don’t look at me! All I did was hand him the order! I didn’t think the shortcake would go and drop it!” Yurio looked away, but he also felt slightly guilty.

“That’s right! It’s not anyone’s fault but mine! I’ll take the punishment!” Minami was close to tears.

“Calm down Minami, no one’s getting punished,” Viktor relaxed a little. “I’m glad no one was hurt but...you seemed completely fine this morning. What exactly happened?”

“I...drank coffee,” Minami admitted.

Viktor, Yuuri, and Yurio stared at Minami blankly.

“Huh?!”

* * *

“Ahhh, of course I forgot to mention!” Leo spoke on speaker from the other end of the call. “Minami’s not supposed to have any strong coffee. He gets extremely hyper and it takes awhile to calm him down.”

“So that’s how it is,” Viktor realized. “Thanks for the info Leo.” Viktor hung up the call. 

"I tried to tell Yuri when he offered me the espresso and it was so nice of him, I didn't want to turn it down!" Minami apologized again. Yuuri handed him a glass of water.

“What the hell? You should have refused then!” Yurio grumbled.

“You should listen to others more too Yurio,” Viktor added. “Well now that we know, there shouldn’t be any more accidents. There’s no need to apologize anymore Minami.”

“Thank you!” Minami cried which surprised all of them.

“Ugh, here tissues!” Yurio handed him a box. “If you have any trouble next time, I’ll help you out, got it?”

They all remembered to not let Minami drink coffee after the incident. 

Two weeks later Georgi finally came back, mostly back in one piece. He claimed to be a new man now moved on from his former love, but was still dramatic as ever.  Everyone had missed him, regardless of the drama, and welcomed him back.

Minami’s contract was only until Georgi returned, but Viktor informed him that  if the cafe needed extra staff again in the future, Minami would be happily asked to return.

“It was only for a short time, but I see you as one of us here at the cafe,” Viktor expressed. “Feel free to come back anytime.”

“Thank you sir! It was a huge pleasure to work here even for a short time!” Minami bowed.

“You ready Minami? I’ll walk you to the station,” Yuuri offered.

“Really Yuuri? Is it okay?” Minami beamed. He took a liking to Yuuri throughout their shifts together.

“It’s no problem at all. I’d like to talk to you for a bit before you return to working at the bakery,” Yuuri told him.

Yuuri promised to be back soon as he and Minami walked out together. Viktor waved goodbye before turning to the door.

“Why are you smirking like that, Yurio? Shouldn’t you be watching the counter?” Viktor turned his attention to the teen.

“Georgi’s back now, the floor will live. More importantly, I’m surprised you didn’t follow those two,” Yurio showed a rare smile on his face, as if he knew more than Viktor.

“Why would I do that? I’m pretty sure Yuuri wanted to have a one-on-one chat with his pupil,” Viktor shrugged as he walked past Yurio to head back to the kitchen.

“Jealous, are we?” Yurio probed.

Viktor halted in his tracks.

“What do you-what are you implying?” Viktor’s tone changed as he faced Yurio.

“From what I can see, Yuuri enjoys being around that shortcake more than you,” Yurio taunted a little.

Viktor chose not to react, but he didn’t have any words against it.

“Again, what is your point if I am jealous?” Viktor put his hands on his hips.

“Do I really have to spill the obvious? Figure it out for yourself genius! You always get prickly whenever you see Yuuri spending more time with anyone but YOU!”

“I...that’s not…”

“See, you can’t deny it.”

“Enough, get back to the counter Yurio,” Viktor ended their conversation and turned away.

“Yeah yeah, you’re the boss. Whatever you do, don’t end up like Georgi.” Yurio left.

As Viktor entered the kitchen, he leaned against the counter to think.

_ Am I? Viktor wondered. Jealous of people hanging around Yuuri…? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not really obvious, but there's a lil easter egg where Minami mentions he's worked as a bus boy in a restaurant for past work experience. The restaurant he refers to is actually the restaurant in nerdlife4eva's fic "Be My Chef, Yuuri". I couldn't mention the restaurant by name it's called "Nikiforov's" lol. Can't break too many walls, but I still wanted to show a lil love for my fav restaurant AU.
> 
> I'm happy to also include Leo and Guang-Hong too in different roles! Guang-Hong reminds me of honey and bears so I came up with "Honey Bear Buns Bakery".


	7. Warm Like Buns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri takes a trip to the Honey Bear Buns bakery and runs into a familiar face while Viktor worries over his feelings and Yuuri's absence.

Yuuri took a deep breath in the hallway between the kitchen and the break room. Chris had already passed the memo to Yuuri that Viktor mentioned Yuuri could go on his break, but Yuuri felt nervous to enter the break room while Viktor was working at the desk. With a shaky hand, Yuuri knocked on the door to get Viktor’s attention.

“Viktor? Is it alright if I step out on a longer break to stop by the Honey Bear Buns bakery?” Yuuri spoke softly as he took off his apron. “I promised Phichit I’d pick up some of their buns.” Yuuri stared at the floor before glancing up to see Viktor’s reaction. He could see Viktor was hunched over the desk with one hand pressed against his forehead and the other tapping a pen on a piece of paper. Viktor’s left bangs dangled loosely over his hand.

Viktor didn’t seem to notice Yuuri’s entrance, so Yuuri cleared his throat and coughed until Viktor swiveled around in his chair and caught Yuuri staring at him. 

Viktor immediately shoved the paper he was writing on underneath one of the binders. “Yuuri! Oh is it time for your break already?” Viktor lifted his arm and checked the time on his watch. “It’s no problem, as long as you’re back by the end of your shift.” The bakery...is he going to visit that little chicklet like boy, what was his name, Minnie? Viktor wondered in his mind. Viktor tried not to let his worrying thoughts express themselves through his facial expression.

“Thank you Viktor,” Yuuri gave a warm smile in return that made Viktor’s cheeks warm up like buns left in an oven and forget about his worries for a moment. “I’ll be back soon!” 

Yuuri walked out, humming softly to himself and felt relieved Viktor let him make a small trip. 

“Have a safe break dea-Yuuri!” Viktor coughed. After Yuuri closed the exit door, Viktor groaned and buried his face in his palms. He nearly called Yuuri ‘dear’ on the tip of his tongue. 

On the way out, he waved to Yuri who was walking in the opposite direction. Yuri only nodded to Yuuri with his hands resting in the pocket of his apron and an annoyed expression under his long bangs. 

“Talk about an embarrassment,” a snarky voice snapped Viktor back to reality. Viktor frowned from under his bangs and looked up to see Yuri leaning against the doorway again with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. 

“If you take too many breaks Yuri, I’m going to cut your next paycheck,” Viktor warned in a voice not so sweet as cakes. Viktor spoke in an icy tone only on occasions when things really ticked him off, especially bratty teenagers like Yuri.

Yuri shrugged and snatched up one of the documents off of the desk Viktor was working at. “More importantly, should you really be signing documents with ‘I like you, Yuuri, go out with me, love Viktor’?” Yuri grinned like a cat as he waved the paper up in the air out of Viktor’s reach.

“Leaving love notes on the work desk, that’s really old fashioned even for you Vic,” Chris chimed in while leaning over Yuri’s shoulder to steal a glance at Viktor’s love note. “You should leave a bottle of champagne or something in his locker instead,” Chris suggested as he walked closer and leaned against the side of the desk. 

Viktor stood up and snatched the document out of Yuri’s hand before Yuri ran off with it and crumpled the note in his fist. “Why are you both on break?! Who’s managing the floor?” Viktor flailed his arms with an exasperated look towards his assistant chef and young barista. Viktor tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for their valid excuse.

“Mila,” Chris and Yuri both replied before exchanging a glance at each other and holding back fits of giggles in their stomachs at their obvious star patissier in love.

Viktor wanted to shove both of them head first into a bowl of frosting.

At 2 in the afternoon the bakery was busy enough to have the full staff working behind the counter and restocking the shelves with fresh pastries hot out of the oven. The overwhelming amount of customers moving through the shop and lining up towards the checkout counter made Yuuri feel a bit lost, like being pushed into a crowded supermarket during sales.

As Yuuri squeezed his way over to the Take-Out pickup counter, he spotted a familiar face in front of him. Yuuri gently eased his way through the crowd, softly mumbling ‘excuse me’ as he made his way. When Yuuri got to the counter, he tapped the person in front of him on the shoulder.

“Phichit? What are you doing here, I told you I was going to pick up the order,” Yuuri greeted his roommate with a puzzled expression on his face.

Phichit turned around and stared back at Yuuri with the same confusion. “Yuuri? What a coincidence seeing you here! Didn’t you text me to pick up the order?” Phichit waved his phone in his hand and showed Yuuri their message log on the screen. “You texted ‘Pick up at Honey Bear Buns 2pm’, didn’t you?” 

Yuuri pulled out his phone and tapped the message app on the screen. He checked the message history with Phichit and groaned. “I’m sorry, I meant to text that I was going to pick it up during my break. Stupid autocorrect…” Yuuri slapped his forehead and hung his head low embarrassed. 

Phichit laughed out loud. “No worries man! I was on break anyway and thought I’d say hi to Leo while I was here. Oh, I met Minami too, he said he was a temporary hire at the cafe with you guys. Heard about the coffee incident too, hilarious!” Phichit rambled on, tapping on his phone screen to check his twitter notifications and playing with the end of the string on his hoodie. 

“Hi Yuuri!” Minami popped up from behind the counter as they were talking, carrying a box full of freshly baked honey bear buns. “I have your order all set to go right here!” Minami smiled brighter than a sunflower as he placed the box on the counter.

Yuuri noticed that Minami didn’t appear nervous at all working at the bakery. Minami stood a bit taller despite his short height and greeted customers with buns of happiness. It was almost like Yuuri was looking at a different person; the only similarities were Minami’s red bangs and friendly personality.

“Hi Minami, looks like you’re a natural happy bear baker here,” Yuuri smiled back. Compared to when he was training Minami as a waiter at Stammi Vicino Patissier, Minami seemed much more relaxed even though the space was crowded and the pace was quicker.

Minami blushed at the sudden compliment and accidentally keyed in the wrong price for the buns on the register while he was distracted for a moment. The register rang up the buns as 100 dollars.

“Ack! Not at all! Oh no! The price for buns is wrong…um….Leo!” Minami spoke tongue tied as he called for assistance. Minami panicked and ran in mini circles. Phichit started giggling until Yuuri shoved his elbow into Phichit‘s side.

“Calm down, Minami. Here, you can cancel the order and ring it up again,” Leo hurried over to help, reaching his hand over Minami’s shoulder to ring up the correct price, adjusting the price in a flash. “It’ll be 15 dollars for a dozen.”

“Awe, no friends discount?” Phichit pouted and joked a little when he noticed Leo. Phichit finally put his phone away and pulled out his wallet out of his back pocket.

“Ha ha, no jokes Phichit, or I’m charging you extra,” Leo stared at Phichit with a deadpanned look before accepting the cash payment and pulling out change for Phichit’s 20 dollar bill.

“For what, your smile? I’d rather be charged for Guang-Hong’s smile, he’s cuter with his freckles,” Phichit continued to poke fun at Leo while leaning over the counter as Yuuri was trying to calm Minami down.

“I’ll warn you, Ji’s smile is priceless, you can’t afford it,” Leo smiled, with a hint of protectiveness behind his words.

“I’m taken actually, I already have my best friend in the whole wide world!” Phichit gestured as he looped one arm around Yuuri’s and picked up their order with the other.

“Phichit!” Yuuri squirmed a little and felt embarrassed being dragged into Phichit’s playful schemes. Whenever Phichit got excited about something, he always managed to drag Yuuri into embarrassing situations against Yuuri’s better judgement.

Minami stared blankly at the both of them and tilted his head like a dog. “Huh? I thought you’re dating Viktor.” 

Yuuri’s body froze and he accidentally dropped the box of buns that Leo handed over to him. Luckily Phichit was quick to save the buns. “Dating? Viktor? Ehhh?!” Yuuri flipped out and held his blushing cheeks in his hands.

The four of them fell silent as Phichit and Leo halted their teasing and looked at Yuuri like he was standing under a spotlight.

Phichit gasped and held a hand to his mouth. “Yuuri! Are you cheating on me?”

Yuuri jumped out of Phichit’s grip and shook his head. “Stop joking around Phichit! I-I’m not dating anyone!” Yuuri stepped back a bit as if to avoid the spotlight suddenly placed over his head. Yuuri’s face looked shocked and robotic like. Him? Dating Viktor? The idea of Yuuri dating anyone seemed more like a myth than a truthful fact. Yuuri panicked and glanced around between Phichit, Leo, and Minami to see if they would laugh or poke fun at him. Yuuri started to sweat nervously the more the words bounced around in his head. 

“Wait, don’t tell me, he hasn’t asked you out yet?” Phichit nearly yelled over the buzz of everyone in the shop. Yuuri shushed Phichit and dragged him away from the counter to an empty table at a corner by the bathroom before they drew further attention to themselves.

Yuuri pulled Phichit closer to him so they could have a private chat. “I…no…nothing’s happened,” Yuuri mumbled in a low voice, feeling his face turn redder and redder. Yuuri wanted to hide in the bathroom, but he didn’t want to act rude to Phichit by running off. Besides there should be nothing to be ashamed about. It wasn’t like he and Viktor were doing anything….special in particular, right?

Phichit placed his hands on his hips and gave Yuuri the look as if Yuuri had told him his hamsters learned how to skate and tap dance while growing wings. “Yuuri Katsuki, I can’t believe it’s been weeks now since you’ve started working at that cafe, and you two haven’t made any progress at all?!” Now it was Phichit’s turn to groan and slap a hand to his forehead.

“Why would we? Viktor and I only work together.” Yuuri expressed his doubt, which was trapping his positive thoughts behind an industrial lock. His shoulders slumped down as his gaze dropped to the floor. Yuuri couldn’t look Phichit in the eye.

Phichit put his hands gently on Yuuri’s shoulder, like he always did whenever Yuuri needed an encouraging pep talk. “Yuuri, have you seen how that man acts around you? He’s completely enamored by your presence!”

“He’s like that with everyone because of his position as the star patissier, he doesn’t treat me any differently or special. I’m only another waiter at his cafe,” Yuuri pointed out and shook his head in disbelief. “If he actually…if he actually liked me, Viktor would clearly say so.”

Phichit’s arms dropped back to his side and his eyes widened in realization. “Oh my gosh…Viktor’s a complete idiot,” Phichit figured it out without giving Yuuri any further explanation. Phichit slowly sank into one of the chairs and flopped himself across the table. “You’re both idiots!” Phichit wailed, drawing attention to themselves from several concerned patrons. 

“What? What did I do?” Yuuri appeared to be completely lost as he watched his best friend fake cry on the table like they were in some kind of soap opera. Yuuri could never understand why Phichit was always dramatic over the weirdest things. He’d seen his roommate act like this whenever he hears strange things like people saying they hate pineapple on pizza or someone has never taken a selfie before.

When Phichit finally came back to reality from his soap opera act, he flipped his worry back to Yuuri. “Yuuri, go back to the cafe right now and talk to Viktor! You two need to talk things out, properly!” Phichit suddenly stood up, placing his hands on Yuuri’s shoulder again and shaking him.

“Um…okay?” Yuuri agreed despite not having a clue as to what was going on. But talk to Viktor about what? How Viktor sees him? What Viktor’s actions towards Yuuri mean? No, Yuuri wasn’t brave enough to ask that from his boss. Yuuri tried to fit the puzzle pieces together, but he didn’t know what exactly Phichit wanted him to talk to Viktor about.

Before Yuuri had a chance to ask Phichit to clarify, Phichit took the buns and started heading out towards the exit like a hamster in a ball while waving goodbye to everyone. “Bye Leo! By Minami! Yuuri! Don’t forget to talk to Viktor! And tell me all the details after!” Phichit called out to him with a knowing smile on his face before disappearing through the crowd.

Yuuri stood in place dumbly for a moment before he realized what time it was. “Oh no! I need to head back to work!” Yuuri waved goodbye to Leo and Minami and rushed out of the bakery in a hurry. “I hope Viktor won’t be mad!” Yuuri pushed his way through the crowd, earning a few glares from the rude or impatient patrons that didn’t like him cutting through towards the exit. Yuuri mumbled apologies until he reached the door. Once he made it outside onto the sidewalk, Yuuri broke into a run as fast as he could. Thankfully he didn’t have to worry about carrying any honey bear buns on the way back. 

Viktor paced with worry over Yuuri’s lateness in the kitchen. Chris watched him pace back in forth for five minutes before cutting into Viktor’s worried pace like a butter knife.

“I’m sure Yuuri will be back any moment now, Vik. The bakery is probably packed with people at this hour getting those hot buns,” Chris offered his words of comfort while tapping a rolling pin against his shoulder and stroking his beard. Viktor was incredibly concerned that he didn’t react to Chris’ suggestive jokes at all, which was rare.

Viktor had tried to focus on icing the next order of cupcakes, but his mind was so preoccupied with Yuuri’s absence. When Chris had originally walked into the kitchen to check on the order, Viktor had filled 20 cupcake wrappers with icing but no cake. Chris slapped Viktor lightly on the butt before Viktor wasted all their icing. Then Viktor began pacing over where Yuuri was.

“It’s been more than an hour Chris! What if he got into an accident?” Viktor panicked and pulled at the roots of his hair. Viktor continued to pace around in the same spot, glancing at his phone gripped tightly in his hand every now and then to check to see if Yuuri had texted him any updates.

“He would have immediately contacted you if he had to be rushed to the hospital,” Chris pointed out, rolling his eyes at Viktor’s dramatics. Chris almost added that Yuuri wasn’t dead yet or anything, but that would probably cause Viktor to faint and then Chris would have to take him to the hospital.

“What if his phone died? What if he was robbed on the way there? What if-” Viktor continued to let his apprehension escalate until Chris placed a cold towel against Viktor’s forehead. Viktor shivered at the dampness from the towel, but it cooled down his head a bit, helping him to calm down.

“Chill out man. If you’re so worried, why don’t you call him? Instead of standing here like a pole and losing your hair,” Chris plucked Viktor’s phone out of his grip and pulled up Yuuri’s contact number.

“Oh…oh of course you’re right, you’re a genius Chris!” Viktor realized as he dropped the wet towel on the counter and reached over to take his phone from Chris’ hand. Viktor’s finger hovered over the dial button and was about to press call when a loud noise came from the back door. Footsteps ran in noisily and Yuuri appeared in the doorway out of breath with his glasses slightly crooked on his nose and apron tied on backwards.

Yuuri gasped and collapsed on his knees. “S….Sorry I’m….late….lost track of….time,” Yuuri panted and sat on the floor to catch his breath. Yuuri felt the color drain from his face and the feeling in his legs turn weaker. Yuuri’s breath came out in short gasps, unable to keep a steady pace due to Yuuri’s panicked state. His heart thumped louder and harder as he braced for a stern lecture about his tardiness. 

Victor and Chris stared at Yuuri as if they had spotted a ghost until Viktor rushed to his side. “Yuuri! Oh thank goodness, I was worried something had happened! I’m so relieved you’ve arrived back safe,” Viktor fell on his knees beside Yuuri and pulled Yuuri into a hug without thinking. Yuuri could smell Viktor’s cologne off of Viktor’s skin and his face blushed red at the sudden closeness. Viktor’s arms felt gentle against Yuuri’s back, and he could feel their hearts beat together against their chests.

“Vi…Viktor?” Yuuri spoke up in a shocked question. Yuuri wasn’t sure what to do and let Viktor hold him for a moment longer until Viktor realized what was happening when Chris coughed loudly.

“Oh!” Viktor immediately pulled back and gave Yuuri breathing space. Yuuri could see Viktor’s cheeks were also slightly red much like his own. Viktor rubbed his hand against the back of his neck and looked away in embarrassment. “Sorry Yuuri, that was uncalled for.”

“No, um, it’s alright?” Yuuri let the words stumble out of his mouth. He could still hear his heart beating loudly in his chest.

Chris walked over to the kitchen sink and filled a clear glass with drinking water. He came over to Yuuri and handed him the glass with a calm expression. “Here Yuuri, take it easy and hydrate yourself. Don’t worry about Viktor, he was only worried because he thought you wound up in the hospital or something.”

“Chris! Don’t tell him that!” Viktor jumped up and waved his arms in front of Chris. “I didn’t know what to think because I didn’t receive any messages.” Chris enjoyed the sight of his best friend flipping out in front of Yuuri.

“I’m sorry!” Yuuri stood up quickly and bowed in apology. “I ran into Phichit at the bakery and we were talking to Leo and Minami and I almost forgot I was on break.”

“Oh, flower boy, I’ve seen him around,” Chris nicknamed Phichit. He remembered seeing Phichit talk to Yuuri and Mila through the kitchen window, and may have overheard that one time Phichit was fan squealing over his chocolate truffles. Viktor wouldn’t stop bugging Chris on how close Phichit was with Yuuri, but all Chris knew was Phichit worked at the Crispino’s Florist.

Viktor couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl at the sound of Yuuri hanging out with other people. Viktor knew Phichit and Yuuri are roommates and Leo and Minami are simply friendly bakers. He made a mental note to accompany Yuuri the next time Yuuri needed to take a longer break if Yuuri would allow it.

“No need for apologies Yuuri, what matters more importantly is that you’re back,” Viktor straightened his composure. “When you feel able to you can head back onto the floor for the rest of your shift,” Viktor instructed.

“Yes! I’ll head back out right now!” Yuuri turned to hurry out of the kitchen so he could get back to serving customers. But then Viktor placed a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder which caused Yuuri to halt in his tracks.

“Wait, Yuuri, your…apron is backwards,” Viktor pointed out. Yuuri looked down at his uniform and finally noticed he had slipped on his apron the wrong way. Yuuri felt even more embarrassed at his late appearance, but before he could fix it Viktor’s hands reached down to untie the string. Without another word, Viktor helped Yuuri slip the apron off and put it back on the right way.

“Perfect,” Viktor whispered towards Yuuri in a warm tone once he was done. Up close Viktor noticed the blush on Yuuri’s cheeks and Yuuri’s messy hair from running. Viktor had to refrain himself from squeezing Yuuri in another hug over how adorable Yuuri appeared right now in front of him. 

Yuuri looked down at his shoes and mumbled, “Thank you…” before walking out of the kitchen as his face melted. Yuuri wasn’t used to standing so close to Viktor, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when Viktor tied his apron. 

Viktor sighed and knelt down on the floor again, hiding his face in his hands. Yuuri was so adorable that Viktor could barely stand on his own two feet without falling head over heels towards the cute waiter.

Chris poked Viktor’s head with the rolling pin. “When you’re done daydreaming over Waiter Boy, those twenty cupcakes you left still need icing,” Chris reminded him before heading over the sink to wash the dishes. Viktor gave a small pout and rubbed the top of his head. He stood up again and rolled up his sleeves to get back to baking. Now that Yuuri was back, things could operate normally again.

Yuuri was about to head out onto the floor and apologize to Mila for his tardiness, when he remembered he forgot to silence his phone in his locker. Yuuri went back into the break room to mute his ringtone. When he passed by Viktor’s desk, he noticed a crumpled note left on top of a stack of papers.

_ What’s this, did Viktor forget to throw this out? _  Yuuri wondered and picked up the wrinkled paper to throw it away in the trash, but then he noticed a handwritten note scribbled on it. Yuuri smoothed out the paper on the desk to read the words more clearly. Yuuri’s eyes widened in shock at what was written the note.

“I…like you Yuuri, would you go out with me…love Viktor?!” Yuuri read the note aloud.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! After over a month long hiatus/writing slump, I am happy to present a new chapter update! Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Huge thanks to N3rd-Senpai for helping me out with all the improvements and changes needed. I really needed that push to dive deeper into the characters thoughts and behavior. I can really start to see the difference with fleshing out the details a bit more to support the setting, dialogue, and interactions between the characters. Things are really moving forward now better than before.
> 
> ~ Days


	8. Mini Cakes and Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do I hear the Hercules soundtrack?” Yuuri eyed his roommate suspiciously as he walked in.

“Perfect!” Viktor set down the icing pastry bag down and admired his delicate work.

_Will you be my sweet tooth, Yuuri?_ was skillfully crafted in icing lettering on top of a vanilla cake.

It was probably the cheesiest line of cream cheeses, but Viktor felt it would convey his feelings enough. It was a much better idea than his silly scrap note that Viktor tried to craft into a love letter. Yuuri loved tasting Viktor’s creations, and surely he would notice the special meaning behind this cake.

Before Yuuri was scheduled to go on his break, Viktor left the cake on the table in the break room. He wanted to wait and see Yuuri’s reaction, but unfortunately Chris called him immediately back to the kitchen. Oh well, Yuuri will most definitely see the cake shortly.

Moments later, everyone noticed Yuuri and Viktor were talking closer than usual about their favorite desserts. Chris noticed that Yuuri was both blushing and giggling more while Viktor was smiling from ear to ear and playfully teasing Yuuri a lot.

“Were they always so sickening sweet to each other?” Yurio muttered as they watched them from afar.

“They’re really going steady now,” Mila hummed as she organized a stack of menus on the counter. 

“Yuuri must have seen the cake Viktor obviously left in the break room,” Chris grinned. “Those two are a set item on the menu now.”

“Well I’m gonna go eat some of it before I get sick watching those two idiots goof off like canaries,” Yurio shrugged as he shuffled to the back room.

“I’m in! I’m getting hungry,” Mila decided to join him.

Meanwhile, Viktor was growing ever curious of what Yuuri thought of the surprise he left for Yuuri. Curiosity and anticipation bubbled in his stomach till Viktor couldn’t wait any longer to find out what Yuuri’s reaction was.

“So Yuuri, what did you think of the cake?” Viktor asked casually, leaning a bit closer and bumping shoulders a bit with Yuuri.

“Hmm? What cake?” Yuuri tilted his head with an oblivious expression on his face. “Did you make a new cake Viktor?”

“The cake I…left in the break room…” before Viktor finished his words, his elated expression turned to frozen shock. Viktor dashed to the back without another word and stared at the place where he left the cake.

The serving plate was complete empty.

“What’s up Viktor? Hey the cake was delicious,” Chris greeted him.

“We didn’t save any for you obviously. If you’re hungry, go bake another one,” Yurio talked with his mouth full of cake. Mila slapped him on the back hard that Yurio nearly choked.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full young man,” Mila told him. Yurio made a face and a comment that Mila wasn’t his mother. 

“The cake…” Viktor gasped. “Yuuri….he didn’t see it…”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and fell silent.

“Well-” Yurio swore in Russian and Mila slapped him again for the language. Viktor wanted to faint on the spot, but unfortunately there was still work to be done so he decided to lock himself in the kitchen muttering a string of Russian curse words under his breath.

After Viktor left everyone looked at each other rather guiltily, even Yurio.

“We should try and see if we could get Yuuri to cheer him up later,” Mila suggested and the other two agreed.

Later that same day Mila went out on the floor to switch with Yuuri and asked him to check on Viktor in the kitchen. When Yuuri entered, he noticed Viktor had his hands full with magazines.

“Viktor, what are all these for?” Yuuri looked down on the kitchen counter to see several wedding magazines scattered across the surface. Some were already laid open on their spine with different colored sticky notes bookmarked on the pages.

“Hm?” Victor gave a half attentive response while flipping through the magazine he was holding and bookmarking another page. When Victor glanced up he finally noticed Yuuri had been standing there and immediately shut the magazine closed with a surprised look on his face. “Oh Yuuri! I didn’t know you were here, I’m sorry I was lost in thought.” Mostly lost in thoughts about you, Viktor wanted to add. Viktor put the book down on the counter on top of the others before explaining, “An old friend of mine’s cousin is having a wedding shower and they wanted me to design the desserts. I was flipping through these that Mila brought for ideas.”

Yuuri gave a soft smile as he picked one up randomly out of curiosity. “Wow, a wedding huh? Sounds really nice,” Yuuri mused as he glanced over the perfectly photographed pictures of wedding couples, venues, flowers and decorations. “I remember attending one for a childhood friend of mine. It was a simple Japanese traditional wedding but still very beautiful.”

“Japanese, sounds really nice. I’ve only seen Western or Modern style weddings,” Victor recalled, leaning against the counter as he tried to neatly stack a few magazines together in a pile. “Chris had a whole bar rented out for his wedding and drinks were on the house. It was quite a sight,” Victor shook his head and let out an embarrassed laugh. “You should’ve seen the pictures.”

“I can sort of imagine,” Yuuri laughed, helping Victor clean up the pile. “So what did you have in mind for the desserts?”

“Well my friend suggested mini fondant cakes, but I’m no novice baker fool. Fondant is barely tasteful for a wedding,” Victor held a sour look on his face for a moment. “If it was some kid’s birthday party no one would tell the difference, but for a wedding you need something sweeter than honey for the married couple to be and their guests.”

“Something sweeter than honey…” Yuuri crossed his arms to think about it until his eyes brightened up with an idea. “Oh! Phichit told me once how he bought a box full of buttercream cupcakes to work. His coworkers really enjoyed it,” Yuuri remembered.

Viktor’s sour face broke into a huge grin as he snapped his fingers and placed his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders. “Buttercream! Brilliant idea Yuuri! I can whip up buttercream frosting for the miniature cake sprinkled with white chocolate shavings.”

“Y…You’re welcome…” Yuuri mumbled and blushed from the warmth of Victor’s hands on his shoulders until Victor let go and set to work immediately pulling out bowls and ingredients for the frosting. Yuuri picked up the stack of wedding magazines and decided to place them on the other counter behind them so they wouldn’t be in the way. As he carried them over, Yuuri toyed with his imagination a bit in his head, but he quickly brushed the silly thoughts away.

_Me and Viktor together? No way..._ , Yuuri doubted himself before going back out on the floor. 

The next day, the cafe was….a bit too quiet. **  
**

In fact, the cafe was actually closed due to a sudden blackout due to a storm outside. All the patrons hurried home before the storm got worse.

The only cafe staff members around were Viktor, Yuuri, and Chris. Phichit came over to enjoy a nice cup of chai tea and decided to stick around since he and Yuuri lived in the same apartment. Phichit claimed that the apartment would be too lonely without his best friend, and that a quiet cafe had a better aesthetic atmosphere.

The main cafe dining area and kitchen were already cleaned up, so everyone was hanging around the coffee bar to wait out the storm. The backup generator had some of the lights turned on dim, but Viktor and Yuuri lit up some candles the cafe had in their storage. Tall candles, short candles, round candles, candles that smelled faintly or cinnamon or vanilla. Yuuri wondered why the cafe had an assortment of candles in the first place, and Viktor mentioned it was for special occasions such as birthday parties or celebrations.

The candles brought out a warm and romantic aura to the cafe that reminded Yuuri of those fancy restaurants with a white tablecloth setting. Viktor mentioned the candles were donated by Minami, who got them from his previous job at the restaurant he worked at when the staff was going to throw them out.

Currently Phichit was in a heated debate with Chris over what were the best spicy foods around the area. They discussed various curry recipes and decided to plan a cook off on the next holiday break. Phichit roped Yuuri in to be the judge, and Chris also nominated Viktor as a judge to keep it fair.

Phichit brought out his phone and hooked it up to his portable speaker. Phichit whispered something in Chris’ ear and showed the Swiss chef his playlist. Chris curiously scrolled through the songs. With a cat like grin, Chris pointed out a song in particular and Phichit giggled before he selected play and turned up the volume.

_If there’s a prize for rotten judgement, I guess I’ve already won that_

_No man is worth the aggravation_

_That’s ancient history, been there, done that_

“Do I hear the Hercules soundtrack?” Yuuri eyed his roommate suspiciously as he walked in. Phichit knew Yuuri all too well that Yuuri was a huge Hercules nerd, despite the Disney inaccuracies in the film when compared to the actual Greek Mythology.

Phichit and Chris started singing along with the lyrics, dancing around on the floor. Yuuri watched them skeptically before Phichit suddenly danced over and dragged Yuuri in.

“Phichit!” Yuuri became flustered.

“Come on Yuuri! It’s not Go The Distance, but you know this song!” Phichit waggled his eyebrows. “Show off your Megura sassy impression!”

Yuuri sighed, but he loved the Hercules soundtrack dearly in his heart and knew every song. Yuuri took off his glasses and cued Phichit to restart the song. Getting into the beat with the character’s voice, Yuuri swayed and shook his hips around as he started singing with a spicy and sassy tone. Phichit and Chris giggled and whistled while they provided the Muses vocal parts.

Victor came out wondering what all the musical commotion was going on and saw Yuuri being ridiculously attractive as Yuuri was dancing and singing. Distracted by the beauty in front of him, he had to hold onto the edge of a table for support. Viktor couldn’t take his eyes off and Yuuri got totally in character with the song.

_Ohhhh, at least out loud…I won’t say I’m in love.._

Yuuri held a flower close to his lips as he sang the last lyrical lines, his face lit up like a beautiful portrait in the candlelight.

God….Viktor was so in love with this man.

“V-Viktor! Sorry! I didn’t mean-you saw all of that?” Yuuri immediately jumped when he finally noticed Viktor standing and watching them. Yuuri’s face blushed all over while Phichit and Chris were still giggling and elbowing each other with knowing looks. Viktor still seemed at a loss for words.

“Your voice is really beautiful…” Viktor finally blurted out. 

“Thank you…” Yuuri mumbled, shifting awkward on his feet and looking down at the ground. Silence filled between them before Phichit smoothly selected the next song and skipped to the chorus.

_Can you feel….the love tonight…_

“Phichit Chulanont, you are a dead man!” Yuuri glared daggers at his roommate, his face still red with embarrassment as he chased Phichit around the cafe to turn off the music.

“You can’t kill me Yuuri! I still need to attend the wedding!” Phichit loudly teased as he dodged Yuuri’s grasp.

“What wedding?!” Yuuri stared at his best friend.

“I’m not telling, it would ruin the surprise! But I already call dibs on being your best man,” Phichit announced.

While Phichit and Yuuri were bickering, Chris made his way over to Viktor’s side who still seemed to be entranced by Yuuri’s voice.

“Helloooo earth to Viktor? Are you only going to watch?” Chris nudged him on the side.

“I....I think I’m going to go back and check the stock for tomorrow,” Viktor mumbled dumbly before turning around and marching to the kitchen. Chris watched him go until Viktor was out of sight.

“Hey, where did Viktor go?” Phichit noticed, still holding his phone away from Yuuri.

“Oh no! Is he mad? Were we goofing off too much?” Yuuri panicked, feeling guilty that his boss caught him both singing AND dancing at work.

“Nah,” Chris waved a hand to brush off any worries, “He went back to check on stock so we’re ready to get back to usual business tomorrow. We could probably blow out all these candles and flip the chairs up before we close early.”

“I bet I can blow out the most candles!” Phichit confidently stated.

“Oh is that a challenge Chulanont?” Chris raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t even work here Phichit!” Yuuri rolled his eyes.

“Only the candles! Come on Yuuri, I feel good about my lungs!” Phichit pleaded with cute hamster eyes. Yuuri sighed and reluctantly gave in, only because they had set up so many candles in order to light up the whole cafe from being dark.

They all rushed around the cafe to blow out all the candles before Yuuri and Chris did all the normal closing procedures. Phichit chilled out at the counter playing with his phone while he waited for them to be done. 

“What should we do about dinner Yuuri?” Phichit suddenly asked once the last chair was put away. 

“Huh? Don’t we have leftovers at the apartment?” Yuuri recalled but Phichit made a face of disgust. They probably had some plain sandwiches or pasta in the fridge.

“Leftovers? How do you young people survive with that kind of thing,” Chris gave them a weird look as he leaned on one of the tables. Chris always enjoyed fine dining, but usually he cooks fresh meals at home to stay healthy. 

“Well since we’re all still here, why don’t the four of us go out to eat tonight?” Phichit suggested.

“Four? So you, me, Chris, and....” Yuuri cut himself off upon realizing who the fourth person in their party would be. Phichit and Chris were smiling at each other again. 

“Are we all finished here?” Viktor came back again, looking at everyone curiously.

“Yup! All done here boss,” Chris gave Viktor the thumbs up.

“Good good, sorry we have to close early,” Viktor apologized, more towards Yuuri than anyone else. 

“Since you guys closed early, we’re all free tonight right? Let’s all go out for dinner together!” Phichit took charge, wrapping one arm around Yuuri and already towing him out the door. “Seems like the stormed stopped anyway!”

“Wait! Phichit!” Yuuri protested but it was no use. There was stopping Phichit once the gears in his head start turning at full speed. Yuuri looked back to catch Viktor’s reaction whether it was disappointment or worse due to their behavior.

Viktor on the other hand seemed more delighted despite having to close his cafe unexpectedly for the day. “Dinner sounds great, and I know the best restaurant on the street,” Viktor genuinely smiled as he pressed a finger to his lips. He’ll have to thank Yuuri’s friend personally for giving them this perfect chance to bond a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I deeply apologize for the wait on updating this fic. This is mostly a filler chapter that I had already written out in parts and posted on tumblr maybe weeks or months ago, but I added a bit more to it to combine it into one chapter. It's not up to my usual quality of writing, but I hope you'll still enjoy it!


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